The present invention relates to a technology of mounting an electronic circuit chip such as an integrated circuit chip onto a soft material such as paper.
These years, electronic circuit chips such as integrated circuit chips have become thinner and thinner, and accordingly, the electronic circuit chips have been used in various configurations.
In a use condition of such an electronic circuit chip, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. H3-38396, a small-sized electronic circuit chip for storing data is embedded in a portable plastic card together with an element for reading data in a noncontact manner. For example, such a plastic card that personal identification data has been previously stored in the electronic circuit chip, can be used as an electronic ID card which can confirm personal identification data in a noncontact manner.
The use configuration of the above-mentioned electronic circuit chip have become prosperous. However, conventionally, materials to which electronic circuit chips are mounted have been limited to materials such as plastic cards which are hard so that it cannot be largely bent and folded. It is because if a force which can largely bend or fold the materials is exerted to the materials, the electronic circuit chips are possibly damaged due to the reason of strength thereof.
However, if an electronic circuit chip can be mounted to a material such as paper which can be largely bent or folded, the use configuration of the electronic circuit chip can be broadened, and higher convenience becomes available for people.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting method with which an electronic circuit chip is prevented from being damaged even though a soft material on which the electronic circuit chip is mounted is bent or folded.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic circuit chip which cannot be damaged even through a soft material such as paper on which the electronic circuit chip is mounted is bent or folded.
To the end, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of mounting an electronic circuit chip onto a foldable sheet, wherein during mounting, the electronic circuit chip is prevented from being located at a position where the sheet creates a crease when it is folded in a predetermined folding manner. With this mounting method, the electronic circuit chip is located while it is avoided from being mounted at a position of a crease to which a high moment force is exerted upon folding of the sheet, thereby it is possible to prevent the electronic circuit chip from being damaged by folding the sheet.
Further, with the use of parameters required for an electronic circuit chip to be mounted on the above-mentioned sheet, a specification for the electronic circuit chip, which can prevent occurrence of damage to the electronic chip even though the sheet is folded, is provided.